Akatsuki Hime: the Bonds Between Us
by SkyeZ
Summary: Nartuo and Hinata have sworn a powerful everlasting friendship to each other, long before they understood the meaning of time. But can such a childish promise last the heartaches of life? Hinata has a choice, her new family, or her forever friend, and Naruto must learn to let go of those most precious to him. Can Naruto show this stolen princess a better world?


**Okay, I know you are all going to hate me! But I hate Akatsuki Hime, and I mean I really hate it. **

**It's my first rather successful story despite that, so I keep it going for my fans, but I cannot write any longer for a story I have no passion for. So, I've decided that instead of leaving you all hanging, I'm editing. I'm rewriting and making this story you love better so that I can find some joy in this to. Please forgive me, but, to minimize your sadness and frustration at rereading everything and waiting for an update I have waited to post everything until I had edited every last chapter or unitl a set day.**

**Please forgive me **

**I'm actually disappointed that I did not fulfill my promise of chapters, I couldn't even get through 2, but I do have this one, I'm working as soon as I can on the others, when I can, and I want to share it out so desperately. So here is chapter 1. **

**I hope y'all enjoy**

**Please read and review.**

**DO NOT OWN NARUTO**

**XXXX**

Ch. 1

Meeting

No one knew me, and I hated that. I hated that no one would look at me and when they did, it was like ice running through me. Even though their anger burned, their stares were surprisingly cold, and left me feeling so alone. I hated them because they hated me. I hated them now because they were hurting me, what had I ever done?

"Brat, go 'way!" A sharp kick landed on my chest and pushed me back to the ground where I had struggled to get up on my hands.

"Kill the li'l demon!" Another jeered.

Again, a sharp pain filled my body as a foot kicked my chest and I heard an audible snap. A scream left my throat, my voice coming out high-pitched like a girls. That only made the men around me laugh harder and cheer on my abusers. Finally, one slipped backwards, his own drunkenness his undoing. Taking down with him, the sour smell of heavy sake and his group of mean man.

Seeing the opportunity, I ran. Scrambling and ignoring the stitch in my side, I pushed up on my knees and hands, which burned and scrapped the hard ground below me, before I took off. Thankfully, they were just a bunch of drunken men and not a few drunken ninja.

"Hey," A burly voice hollered out, "he go' aw'y!" I pushed harder and soon the stitch in my side disappeared leaving only the harsh painful memory.

No one in the streets paid me any attention as I squirmed through them. They were egger to go home, as the day was ending and the sun going down leaving bright pinks and oranges to bathe the street. I did not yell at them to look at me, I didn't call out for help, I only ran.

Briefly, I noted that I ran past a few kids from my class that the old man forced me to attend. A day care where many ninja left their younger children too little to attend the academy. He wanted me to make friends among ninja children considering, as he said, I 'had a high capacity for chakra' – whatever that means, it still made me happy to be praised. Still, no one would be my friend.

Soon I made it to the park and past the empty swings and slides, I ran until I was at the edge of the little woods. They were only as long as a few training grounds so that no child could get seriously lost for more than eight hours without walking in one direction. Beyond them was the side of the mountain to the great Hokage faces. It was a perfect place for me to lose anyone in for a while because drunks had a hard time finding their way through the bushes and trees.

After I was deep enough in the little section of woods where the evening light shone in little spots or large gaps, I fell to my back on the ground. My breath came out in heavy bursts and my lungs burned for air. My legs tingled and ached, but the sores from the beating received earlier were already gone or healing.

I let a tear slide down my cheek. "They'll see…" My blue eyes found the gap between the trees above me letting the side view of the faces tower above my sight. "I'll be greater than them and then no one can ever be mean to me, or look down on me…" My voice broke in a strangled chocked sob. "Or ignore me. Ever, dattebayo."

The silence of the woods settled my ragging emotions enough so that I soon dozed off in exhaustion, only to be awakened later in the dim lit woods by the ragged sounds of brokenhearted crying. I sat up with a start. Who else was here?

"Hello?" I called cautiously, only to receive no answer.

With a groan, I stood up and warily walked to the sound that was coming from the tree before me. Once I was close enough I crouched down and peaked around the trunk of the tree to see the back of the crying person before me.

It was a small girl wearing a beige jacket. Her head was bent down on her knees with her short indigo hair showing the back of a pale neck.

"Hey," I walked out slowly unable to leave someone crying so brokenheartedly, so alone.

Her sobs where so harsh that her back and shoulders heaved, but the instant I spoke they stilled and she sucked in a breath sharply. Her head darted around and I could almost feel the crank in my own neck as her wide, scared, pale lavender eyes looked at me. I scooted around to sit before her cross-legged and her head followed my movements like a bunny.

Once I was before her, I took the chance to study her better. Her big fluffy jacket was unzipped over a black shirt, as if she had put it on in a rush, but her legs pulled up to her chest obscured most of the view and her tiny feet resting on the ground were bare. I saw what she was must have been crying over, there on her pale cheek was a deep dark and painful bruise roughly in the shape of a large hand.

"Hello." I said again. Her lip quivered but she nodded me a hello.

I eyed her warily, watching her movements and her eyes to make sure I could be nice to her without being turned down for my effort.

"I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki! Newly four years old, dattebayo!" She didn't answer, only stared at me scared. "Well, who are you?" I said impatiently and a little irked. Why did people always give me such frightened looks?

She flinched. "H-Hinata Hy-yuga. Th-hree years o-old."

"Good." I grinned widely to try to ease her fears. "Now we know each other! Yo!" She didn't answer and I sighed.

With a small grunt, I placed my hands on my knees and began to stand up. _"Well, if she doesn't want to talk to me… No one does anyway."_ Even if I wanted to help her, because she looked so scared, hurt, and tiny, she didn't seem to want it.

"See ya latter then, Hinata." I was getting ready to leave when her hand reached out and grabbed on to my wrist yanking me down just a little bit. When I looked back at her, her pale eyes were larger and the tears once again leaked down her stained cheek.

"P-please… D-d-don't go, N-Naruto-kun…" I sat back down and watched as she took her hand back with a deep red blush rushing to stain her cheeks. She then curled back up into herself and I realized that even though she was scared of me, it wasn't because she was told to be –I hope- she was shy, incredibly shy by the look.

"Oh!" I laughed now that I had figured out the problem. "No need to be shy, Hinata-chan, I don't bite!"

She uncurled a little bit from herself with her cheeks flushed rose red and gave me a timid smile. Sniffling she wiped her eyes and nose on the back of her sleeve, wincing as she pressed too hard on her poor cheek.

"I'm s-sorry if I uh, m-made you ma-ad." She said quietly and I had to strain my ears to hear her.

"Nah, its fine." I smiled.

"So…" I tried to feel in the silence. Looking around me, I noted that it was dark outside. "What are you doing out her so late, eh? Crying to!" Now that I was intently focused on her problems, I was quickly forgetting my own.

She shrugged and tried to hide her check behind the hair framing both sides of her face.

"Well, I got chased out here, I come and hide here all the time! It's a real great spot to hide."

"W-why?" She gaped at me.

"Uh," Now I shifted uncomfortably. "Well…because everyone hates me. I don't even know why!"

"I, um, I d-don't." She whispered. "Y-you seem v-v-very ni-ice."

I gave her my brightest smile. "Thank you Hinata-chan! You seem nice to, so why are you all out here alone?" I didn't really want to talk about the eyes that would stare at me as I walked down the street.

Her pale eyes shifted to the ground. "M-my sister w-was b-born to-oday."

"That's good right?"

When someone was born, usually wasn't that a very happy occasion? A kid at the day care had come screaming into class that he was now a big brother. He had such a happy grin when he told us that his 'mommy' and 'daddy' said he would be in charge of keeping his baby sister safe.

"Y-yes. Bu…" A sodden sob was ripped from her lips. "B-but m-mo-ommy is a-a-asleep and w-w-o-on't e-e-ever wake up a-a-again!" She wailed out, her voice reaching a high note sob, so while still quite it was rather high in pitch.

"D-daddy s-says its m-my f-fault. S-a-aid mom-mmy was b-bu-busy taki-ng c-care of me to t-take c-c-care of Hanabi-imouto. A-and I couldn't d-do th-he t-training b-b-basics th-hat my nii-san c-can and I f-f-failed and h-h-he's so v-v-ery m-m-mad at me 'c-c-cause I'm w-w-eak…"

She broke down again into heavy sobs and I was filled with an uncommon feeling of protectiveness. I had only felt that feeling strongly for a stray cat I found being kicked by some bullies. Such a tiny little kid shouldn't have to be hurt and she even had the bruise to prove how unfair she was treated. I was old enough to recognize a bruise from training compared to one from being hit on purpose.

Biting my lip rather uncomfortably, I slid beside her, and awkwardly patted her shaking back like I had seen people do to comfort their friends sometimes. I thought briefly about hugging her, something I had seen parents do for their crying children, but I was not sure how to start the process of a hug.

Hinata though did not seem to have that problem for she turned towards me as if drawn to the warmth and latched her arms tightly around my neck with her head buried in my shoulder. After a bit of squirming to get comfortable I settled with letting her butt sit in the middle of my crossed legs, her legs warped around my waist and her heels very softly but tightly holding onto the lower of my back.

I wrapped my own arms around her and rubbed a hand up and down her spine slowly to see the reaction it would cause. She must have liked it though because her sobs slowed down to little heaves and sniffles.

"T-thank you N-Naruto-kun." Now instead of me just hugging her, she returned the hug pulling me tightly to her and I felt a new fresh batch of tears spring to my own eyes at the warmth she suddenly gave me. I squeezed into the hug just as she had done to me.

She must have heard my sobs, for the next question she asked me had tossed out all sadness for herself and seemed filled with a caring tone only for me.

"N-Naruto-kun? A-are yo-ou sad?"

I leaned back some so we could look each other eyes to eye which sent a rosy blush to her tear stained and marred cheek.

"Yeah… I g-guess I… am." I said between forced breaths. "Is… i-is it o-o…" I didn't need to finish my sentence because Hinata nodded her head with a kind smile at me.

"I-it's okay N-Naruto-kun. I, uh, I-I'll h-h-hold you." With that, I let go and burst into loud sobs and leaned into Hinata's offered hug. Something soft and a little moist landed on my cheek with a soft smack and pulled just as quickly back, I belatedly noted that was probably a kiss, but I had never felt one before. Even so, the action made me feel a little bit better.

"T-thank you… Hinata-chan!"

Tired from our bout of tears, and lulled by each other's presence, we fell fast asleep. Holding, comforting, and healing each other through the night.

**XXX**

**Yes, I guess I unintentionally made the chapter a little longer and I think the whole span of my chapter will indeed be longer than before. Sorry about that, but I hope it ends out possibly better for it. **

**The original always read to rushed for my taste so with this I might actually slow it down somewhat.**

**Sorry, sorry,**

**I can't say this enough. **

**Thank you for giving this another try!**

**Please of please review!**


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